Fading Roses
by Xehanorto
Summary: The story has ended, the red rose has left, the yellow has burned, and the blue had become a prisoner. However, even a prison can become a home given enough time. (One-shot set in Forgotten Portrait ending)


Garry awoke in an instant, his chest pounding, his entire body trembling as his eyes opened wide awake. He looked down at himself, as though he were making sure that he was all there. A quick glance revealed where he was, the Gallery.

His whole body felt cold, drained, like it wasn't alive anymore. But that was impossible, he was breathing, he couldn't have died. However, his rose was nowhere to be seen, no petals scattered about either.

He clenched his head as he tried to remember what had happened, but most of his memories were mired in fog. His life before coming to the gallery, he had no recollection of that at all, but he was human, he had to be. After all, he could still feel things; he had to with how confused he felt.

His time in the gallery before now was also mired in fog, though he could actually make something out, unlike his other memories. There were three roses that he could see one crimson red, one blue, and one yellow. He wondered briefly why this was all he could really remember, but the thought soon passed.

The blue rose, was bare, its petals scattered around a stem that was withering away with the plucked petals. This was his rose; at least he thought it was. But if it was, how was he breathing right now, had he truly died? If only he could find his rose, then maybe he would get an answer.

The red rose was fading away, as if it was departing for another place. The yellow rose, was also fading, but not in the normal sense. Its petals and stem slowly burned away, the flames eating at the precious rose. It seemed that in his memories, only the red rose survived.

Garry stood up slowly, leaning against the wall to help himself stay balanced as he stood up, still feeling tired, drained, more so than any person should have. He sighed a bit as he finally managed to stand up straight without any support, but he was still stumbling. "Guess I should start exploring…"

As he explored the halls of the Gallery, he thought of where he had come from. The hallway he had been in, it hadn't really connected too much, like it hadn't belonged. He didn't dare to go back though to find out though, it stirred something foreboding in his mind.

However, walking through these eerie hallways, part of him became more and more unnerved with every painting or sculpture he passed. He knew all the art in this place was alive, but they all did nothing, but watch him with interest. It began to unnerve him, made him paranoid that one of them would soon jump at him.

After exploring for what seemed like hours, Garry had stumbled upon what seemed like a safe room. The only entrance or exit was a door, an obstacle to the paintings here. The room was empty, no paintings, nothing that was a part of the gallery that watched him so eagerly. He felt safe here and he would not leave unless it was to search more for a way out.

The first time he attempts to sleep in the room, there is banging on the door, very loud and constant banging. It drove Garry into a corner of the room, in fear of what was outside. It was just another painting, but perhaps this one had taken an interest in him. After some time, the banging stopped and the sound of crawling told him that the painting was gone. His fear however, prevented him from sleeping, so he decided to go and try to find an exit.

That search, proved to be unfruitful, the closest Garry ever found to help were in some of the books in the Gallery, but none gave an answer on how to leave this place. Some helped to enlighten him on the nature of the paintings and their doings, but other than the one banging on his door, none have tried to interact with him.

They still watch him though and now, specific paintings have been following him as he goes from room to room, searching for books that may aid him. He can constantly hear the dragging of frames across the floor, the sound grating into his ears over and over again.

He's not sure how long he has been awake by the time the last book is closed and tossed aside, but his eyes reflect his current state. Dark circles had begun to form under his eyes, the color of which was slowly turning red. He didn't dare to sleep, out of fear of the Ladies.

However, that bothered him, they did not attack or talk to him, but they also did not leave him in peace. It was like they were waiting for something, for him to do something that would invite them to him. He doesn't plan on giving them the chance, the sooner he can leave, and the happier he'll be to sleep.

As Garry continued to wander through the hallways of the gallery, his mind wanders to the amount of time he has spent here in this world. He's not sure how much time has actually passed, if any time has passed. Nothing ever seems to change, to grow since he has awaked.

He knows he should feel hungry, he knows his body should be growing in one form or another, but nothing has happened. It is as though he and the rest of this gallery have been frozen in time, never to change. Perhaps this is due to his untimely demise that caused him to go to sleep.

"But…I didn't die…did I?" The question was one of many that plagued Garry's mind over the course of time that refused to move forward. He had yet to find any form of a rose in the gallery, stem or petal. Perhaps soon he will be able to find it and put his question to rest, but for now it keeps him awake along with many other things in this place.

Garry laid in his room, in isolation, attempting to sleep, but it would not come. The Ladies continued to bang on his door, the Red and Blue to be precise. Those two were the ones that were following him, the third had stopped following him long ago. Or had there been a third Lady, it was hard to remember now.

When the ladies do not impede his attempts to sleep, a very distinct voice rings in his head, tormenting him. Loves Me, Loves Me Not she keeps chanting. Garry knows it is a lady based on the tone of the voice, but he is not sure who it could be. This sounded like a girl playing what seemed like an innocent game, but something about it made him terrified to sleep.

His eyes are extremely red and underneath are a dark purple when he goes outside again. He has been awake for a long time now and his thinking is starting to become distorted, irrational. However, each Lady he sees, the colors begin to stir something in his mind.

The Lady in Red, the color she represents matches that of the rose he sees in his memories. Each one he lays eyes on brings back unfocused bits of his memory, but the memories that become clearer scare him.

The Lady in Blue, she is his rose in a sense, the same shade of blue, his rose, himself, and her. He has tried asking a number of the Ladies in Blue about his rose, but not one answered his question. Perhaps he would find the right Blue one day, but for now he did not.

The Lady in Yellow, the one Lady in this gallery that terrifies him to no end. He doesn't know why, but this Lady he tends to avoid as best as possible, which seems to be increasingly easier to do. Perhaps the Ladies in Yellow detest him, but there is always one, one that seems to observe him cautiously. And that scares him beyond measure.

The Lady in Red though, the memories that stir at the sight of her, are warm, caring, and loving. The shade of red that bleeds over part of his memories, he cannot see past it, but he can feel the memories. Perhaps he cared for the Lady in Red at one point in time, but he cannot be sure.

Thinking about each of the Ladies, Red, Blue, and Yellow, his lack of sleep continues to grow and his thoughts prevent him from sleeping. The less he sleeps, the more he wants to go seek them out, but his exhaustion and tiredness are becoming too much. He fears that he will collapse and not wake again if he goes too far. So, Garry leaves his door open slightly as though to invite the Ladies, hoping they are the right ones that come for him.

As he attempts to sleep, he feels himself losing something precious to him. Whatever it was that was lost, he could not recall what it was. The memory of it was gone and he felt there was no reason to be sad over what he could not remember.

Garry has finally managed to sleep for a short time as the door to his sanctuary is pushed further open, a small shred of light creeping into the room. The light does not hit him however and it is not until he feels several soft touches along his face and arms that he wakes up startled.

He immediately crawls backwards past who woke him up, shutting the door with his back as he attempted to escape. Once he heard the clicking sound of the door shutting and locking, his eyes went wide as he saw who had waked him. Three Ladies, the three colors that were in his mind. He is about to panic as they crawl towards him, before he sees that their eyes are bloodshot and their hands look bruised and worn.

The Lady in Yellow stayed close to Garry's feet and legs, as if she were protecting his lower half. The Lady in Red, simply stroked Garry's arms and stomach. And the Lady in Blue, she was the closest to him, her head leaning against his own as he stroked her hair. Her voice was the one that began to fill his head.

"It's okay, there is nothing to fear, you are safe with us, and we will watch and protect you…"

Her voice seemed so gentle and kind, as his hand moved to her. The Lady in Red stopped him however and pulled his arm back, shaking her head. There was a smile on her face, but if one looked closely or was still sane, they could see the malicious intent on her face. Her voice was the one that spoke next.

"Do not move, you are tired and weary and you must be still. Do not fear, there is nothing that can harm you, as long as we remain here…"

Garry nodded slowly as he relaxed a bit as the Ladies in Red and Yellow backed away, leaving Garry and Blue alone for the moment. She looked at him gently, a smile on her lips as she stroked his hair with one hand and comforted him with the other.

He became more and more relaxed with each tender touch, with every moment he looked into her eyes. Blue pulled him over to another part of the small room, with the door somehow opening. His eyes remained focused on Blue, he did not see the door open or the other two Ladies leaving.

Blue kissed his cheek gently as the door shut itself and locked, leaving the two completely alone. Garry continued to lay there as the painting next to him continued to watch him. She continues to coddle him and hold him. He doesn't mind anymore though, he has actually grown to like it.

"B-blue, I…"

A finger over his mouth and a hushing from Blue stops Garry from speaking as she continues to smile at him. She looks at him as he other hand strokes his cheek slowly, her nails tracing over his skin. The touch doesn't hurt at all, despite how sharp her nails are.

"Hush little one, let your mind rest and drift aimlessly. Let your eyes shut now for a reprieve, let yourself sleep…"

As Blue spoke to him gently, his eyes began to close shut, his head leaning against her frame gently. What he does not see as sleep quickly claims him is the smirk that grows on her face as she kisses his cheek. His breathing becomes gentler than it was before, his body still as the painting continues to stroke his cheek and hair.

As he slept, dreams of memories did not plague him, nor did the voice that constantly sang Loves Me, Loves Me Not in a tormenting kind of way. Instead, the three roses that had plagued his mind had finally gone, with the three Ladies taking their place.

The Lady in Red, he had made her a promise, to protect her as long as they were together. The memories and feelings that he had associated with her before, they no longer frightened him. They were calming, helping his mind be at ease.

The Lady in Yellow, she did not change much, but Garry did not fear her any longer. In the back of his 'heart', he pitied her and while she wasn't sure why, it didn't matter. After all, she was like a little sister to him, he'd watch out for her.

And then The Lady in Blue, his reflection in a way. Whenever he was with her, near her, or even thinking of her, he felt safe and sound. As long as she was here, as long as she was safe, he would be safe to. She was his blue rose, she was his life and he would do whatever it took to make her happy.

After all, they were his family and he loved his family with all of his heart. Nothing else mattered to him, only his family and staying with them.

Garry awoke slowly from his slumber, to find the Lady in Blue resting her head on his chest. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for him to wake up. It was so kind of her to wait for him, to watch him. He shook her gently to wake her up, one final question plaguing his mind, the one piece of the puzzle he needed to fit everything.

"Blue, did I die?"

Blue blinked curiously at him as she awoke, before smiling gently. She cupped his chin with her soft hands, before her face met extremely close to his. Her smile was gentle as she looked him in the eyes.

"What are you talking about Garry, how could you have died when you've always been with us? You're just like us after all, that's why you've always been with us. That is why you will stay with us, because you're a part of our family and you love us."

As Blue gave her answer, Garry felt a calm feeling washing over his being. That's right...he had always been with his family, they had protected him from the outside. He was happy here and he never wanted to leave his family. Before he could answer, Blue pulled him into a kiss and the last thoughts the old him had faded away.

The blue rose was withered away, plucked of it's memories and former life, now a plaything to the residents of that Fabricated World. Garry was no more, now he was a servant of that world, the Forgotten Portrait.


End file.
